Tag Archives: frustration

Back in Brooklyn my most common source of frustration was getting home to be reminded that I had to search for a parking spot for 20 minutes before I could head upstairs.

So how is it now that I have a guaranteed spot in my driveway I still get frustrated every time I get home and go to park my car?

The quick explanation is that I don’t live alone.

Not one, not two, but three cars in my driveway.

It never really made sense to me back in Brooklyn why people loved parking in the same spot everyday, mainly because my Dad’s car stayed in our one garage spot, but now I get it. There is just something mentally satisfying about leaving your car in the same place every time.

I even noticed this when I go to work and I see somebody parked in “my spot”. No my name isn’t on it, no it isn’t reserved for me, and no I don’t pay for it. But it’s where I like to park and I park there everyday that someone doesn’t steal it from me. But then again who wouldn’t try to steal the best spot? One of my co-workers probably went on this same rant when I started parking there.

At this point I have come to terms with “my spot” at work, but my spot at home is a completely different matter. Notice there are no quotations around my spot when it is at my house.

I always parked in spot on the far left of the driveway because it is right next to our tree and I like having a little bit of shade, that and it’s a nice tree.

Then one day John decides that he’s going to start parking there with his car that hasn’t left the driveway to go anywhere besides the mechanic in 2 months.

John's car (left) in my spot.

I know that this might all seem like a crazy rant but it does apply to the transition from apartment to house.

Back in Brooklyn I was competing against my entire neighborhood for a parking spot, granted even in those days I had “my spot” but the term was used much more loosely. In those days my parking routine was:

Go to “My Spot” and see if it was available. (9 out of 10 times it wasn’t)

Get mad that such a thing as “alternate side parking” exists. For those of you who haven’t experienced the devils gift to NYC, alternate side parking is when you can’t park your car on a certain side of the street one day a week for a two hour period so that the street sweeper can clean. (Trying to clean NYC is hopeless, let’s just throw the trash in Jersey.)

Now honestly I can live without circling the block and alternate side parking. But still I’m not sure where parking is more frustrating, in the city or in the suburb. It almost seems that having to park 10 feet to the right is more annoying than searching for a spot.

Honestly I can’t tell, so I am going to need your help. I need you to tell me what you think about this so that I can decide whether or not I should start yelling at John or not.